The Compulsive Liar
by jordangio
Summary: AU, Blaine is a compulsive liar. He lied to Kurt about being gay...at first, that is. Can compulsive liars change?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **AU, Blaine is a compulsive liar, and was never gay. He just lied to Kurt about being gay.

**Rating:** PG-13, for mild language that eventually develops into stronger language in later chapters, and suggestive themes.

**Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING, SADLY. Well, I own the plot, but that's about it. The characters belong to RIB and

the other writers/directors/creators of Glee.

**Author's Notes:**

* * *

><p>Lying can fuel a relationship, but at the same time, can break it.<p>

Blaine had never really thought about this. Lying just came too natural to him. It was just easier than telling the truth, to him. Sometimes he didn't even realize what he was saying before he spoke, and he'd end up tangling himself in a web of lies that he could barely get out of. Maybe his charm added to that. Or maybe he was just such a good liar.

The lying sure had its negatives, however. Blaine occasionally felt guilty about lying, as he turned down a girl who asked him out, saying that he was gay, though it was always because the girl was such a loser. If he got out of dance rehearsals with the Warblers, which happened quite often, he'd feel guilty because he was the only decent person in there, and they could definitely use his help quite a lot of the time. People who he most frequently lied to started to become suspicious of him, and tended to trust him less.

However, it definitely had its perks, which far outnumbered the negatives. Blaine could get out of just about anything. He didn't have to do lots of stuff, and lied himself into special privileges sometimes, especially when dealing with school. Lying had made him popular, and secured his place at the top of the high school food chain. He was perfectly happy with his life, and was sure that he had it all figured out.

That is, he did until Kurt Hummel came along.

It was a pretty normal day at Dalton, as cliché as that was. He was about to, with his fellow Warblers, put on an impromptu concert for the school. Hey, it got them out of class, and that was always good. The song, Teenage Dream, highlighted his vocals, and everyone would totally love it. He was about to head that way when he saw a total stranger walking down the stairs.

The kid looked like an outcast. He was totally wrong from the start, and Blaine held back laughter, putting on a straight face, getting ready to put on the sensitive act, another lie he had perfected. The kid looked about thirteen years old, and he was obviously trying to spy. His imitation of the Dalton uniform was absolutely pathetic, though Blaine couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The dark jacket was far from the Dalton blue, and the red tie was free of stripes. He was blown away by the effort, though; it could have been somewhat passable, had the kid not worn a completely dumbstruck expression. That was what truly gave him away. Plus, he wore sunglasses and his eyes darted around nervously, worried about being called out.

As he came closer, Blaine decided to pretend to be partially oblivious to the spy; he clearly meant no harm. He turned around, pretending not to have previously seen the guy; he clearly hadn't seen Blaine. He'd probably ask him for directions or something like that. People always did.

"Um, excuse me," he heard a light voice ask from behind him. He turned around to see the spy, blushing a bit with nervousness, "Can I ask you a question?"

"I'm new here," he added.

_Of course you are, kid,_ Blaine thought, smirking a bit as his thoughts cracked his facial expression. He scanned the guy with his eyes, subconsciously making judgments, as any human would. By the style of the clothes, and the fact that they all looked name brand, neat, and expensive, the kid was probably gay. Blaine knew that was jumping to conclusions, but he couldn't help it.

"My name's Blaine," he said calmly, reaching out a hand.

"Kurt," said the spy, shaking it back. He looked surprised.

"So what exactly is going on?" Kurt asked, looking a bit flustered as the many students ran by, excited.

"The Warblers," he exploded, smiling with pride, "Every now and then they throw an impromptu performance in the senior commons. It tends to shut the school down for a while."

"So wait, the glee club here is kind of cool?" Kurt asked hesitantly, looking doubtful. Blaine was shocked. Why WOULDN'T a glee club be cool?

"The Warblers are, like, rock stars." He said, smiling.

"Come on," he said, grabbing Kurt's hand, "I know a shortcut."

They ran through the school, down hallways that had been deserted ever since the rest of the student body had flooded towards the senior commons. Kurt was blushing madly and trying not to smile at the touch of their hands, and Blaine felt a little guilty for leading him on. However, he loved the joyful look o Kurt's face at their hand holding, so it was worth it in some ways.

"Oh, I stick out like a sore thumb," Kurt said nervously as they stood in the doorway of the senior commons, everyone bustling about.

"Next time don't forget your jacket, new kid," Blaine said, wanting to snap at Kurt, "You'll fit right in." Of COURSE he stuck out; he was a really bad spy. However, he needed to keep up the act, so he just mustered as much positivity as he could muster, and smoothed the jacket Kurt was wearing before tossing down his bag and joining the other Warblers for their performance.

"You think I'm pretty, without any makeup on…"

During the entire song, all Blaine felt was guilt. Kurt was blushing madly, smiling, fluttering his eyelashes, and showing obvious infatuation for Blaine. Nobody could miss the obvious, though short, gasp that fell from Kurt's mouth at the sound of the phrase "skin-tight jeans." It was quite embarrassing, and he could tell that some of the other Warblers sensed it, too. However, he couldn't help but gaze into those beautiful eyes of his, and admire that wonderful smile he wore. Kurt was quite adorable, and it Blaine wasn't straight; he would totally fall for him.

* * *

><p>"It's very civilized for you to invite me for coffee before you beat me up for spying."Kurt said as they sat in the Dalton coffee shop later that afternoon. Introductions had been made, yet he looked either absolutely terrified, on the verge of tears, or both. Blaine couldn't really tell. He really felt sorry for the poor kid.<p>

"Can I ask you guys a question," Kurt said, looking a bit doubtful, yet expecting, "Are you guys all gay?"

The guys laughed at the question. Of course they weren't. There were some at Dalton that were, but Wes, David, and Blaine weren't among them.

"Uh…no," Blaine said, still laughing. However, he saw the disappointed look on Kurt's face after their laughter, and suddenly changed courses.

"I mean, I am," he added smoothly, as if he hadn't had to think about the answer, "But these two have girlfriends."

He got half of a confused look form Wes for about a millisecond, and then it changed to indifference. Wes and David were both so used to Blaine's lying, and this wasn't really a surprise for them, that'd he'd lie to make someone else feel better. The sensitive Blaine did exist; he just didn't come out as often, unless it was an act.

Wes and David started explaining the no bullying policy at Dalton. Blaine would have jumped in, but he was concentrated on Kurt. His expression changed rapidly, and he started looking more and more like he was going to start crying. Finally, when he was about to crack, Blaine stopped them.

"Would you guys excuse us?" he asked softly. Wes and David pretty much immediately obeyed. They muttered something, and then walked out. Blaine prepped in his head, thinking of character lines for this super sensitive guy he was pretending to be. As soon as Wes and David were out of earshot, he started.

"I take it you're having trouble at school?"

"I'm the only person out of the closet at my school," Kurt said, his voice heavy with the coming of tears. Blaine's heart immediately fell in sympathy. This poor, pathetic kid seemed to be all alone, and he was sitting there, making judgments about him.

"And I tried to stay strong about it," Kurt continued, tears now slowly streaming down his face, "But there's this Neanderthal who's made it his mission to make my life a living hell."

"And nobody seems to notice."

At that moment, with that lonely kid sitting in front of him, crying because he was afraid to be who he was, Blaine decided to be this kid's hero. He was going to be there for Kurt, whenever he needed him, no matter where or when. He was going to make that effort. He wouldn't purposely lead him on, because he had no intention of making that cover-up about being gay his identity, but he would help Kurt persevere. He had no right to be treated like he was, and Blaine was going to have him show people that.

However, he couldn't help but do it, couldn't help but lie. On the spot, he made up a quite depressing story about how he had been bullied for being gay at his old school. He knew in his heart that this was the worst lie he could ever tell, but he couldn't just sit by and say "Oh, that sucks for you. My life as being gay has been fabulous." He needed that one thing that Kurt could relate to. He started giving him advice on how to overcome this prejudice, and started even inspiring himself.

He gave some parting words to Kurt, and then made up an excuse about Warblers practice before leaving.

* * *

><p>He had gotten a phone call from Kurt the night before. They'd exchanged texts, most of which were Blaine telling him to have courage, but this was different. There was a sense of urgency.<p>

"He…he kissed me," Kurt mumbled, seeming in shock as he murmured the story.

"I'll be there in the morning." Blaine said, hanging up.

This was crossing the line. Kurt had become like a brother to him, and nobody was going to mess up his little brother without some resistance from him. Especially not a guy who was too afraid to admit he was gay, and took it out by pushing around someone no more lower than him.

He'd driven down to Lima the next morning, arriving around mid-morning at William McKinely. He was genuinely furious about this. He wasn't going down without a fight. However, he had to stay in character, so he had a bunch of stuff planned out to say about it being "okay to be gay" and all that.

He said some pretty professional-sounding stuff about the dude not being alone, but then he got pushed, and even though he raised up his hands in surrender, he was about ready to fight. If his Dalton education hadn't been on the line, he would have.

Oh, he so would have.

He was ready to defend Kurt all the way, and make him feel better, but then he started blabbering on about that being his first gay kiss. Blaine squirmed uncomfortably, and he could sense that Kurt expected him to say something comforting, though he had nothing.

"Come on, I'll by you lunch." He said, getting up. As much as he could avoid the situation, the better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **AU, Blaine is a compulsive liar, and was never gay. He just lied to Kurt about being gay.

**Rating:** PG-13, for mild language that eventually develops into stronger language in later chapters, and suggestive themes.

**Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING, SADLY. Well, I own the plot, but that's about it. The characters belong to RIB and the other writers/directors/creators of Glee.

**Author's Notes:** I didn't actually realize how many people were readig this until the e-mails came up...THANKS SO MUCH GUYS I FEEL LOVED! Sorry this one's kind of short, I'll go ahead and post the next chapter tonight, too, to make up for it.

* * *

><p>At first, it was difficult to keep up the gay act. Blaine had to be caught up on celebrity gossip, and he even (to his embarrassment and his fellow Warblers' enjoyment) had to subscribe to <em>Vogue<em>, just so he could keep up with at least half of what Kurt was talking about. He may have been taunted and it may have been grueling work at times, but he'd rather work his butt off and make Kurt happy (which made him happy, since Kurt was so adorable when he was happy), or admit it was a lie and lose a possible friend.

So, Blaine kept up with it, and after a while, it became sort of a guilty pleasure of some sort to read up on celebrity gossip, to make that facial mask and see if it really worked, to find out what was in style that season, even if he had to wear a uniform. It was still nice to know. He started actually getting excited about taking Kurt places. At first it was like "Ew. Who wants to go sit in a theater and sing along to _The Sound of Music?_" However, it quickly became, "_Burlesque_…Cher AND Christina Aguilera? COUNT ME IN!"

Naturally, his friends weren't too excited about this change. It may have been oh-so-subtle and slow, but they could tell when Blaine was lying, and now that he wasn't, they were suspicious. Wes started bothering him about spending so much time with Kurt. David inquired about why they weren't hanging out on weekends anymore. Blaine would just shrug them off, putting on a pretty convincing act, saying that he felt bad for the kid.

So, it was no surprise when Kurt planned a romantic dinner for the two of them-in the company of Kurt's friend, Mercedes. Sure, it was nice that Kurt wanted to include his friend, but Blaine was a bit annoyed. He hadn't spent time with Kurt in a while, not since he'd done some more research on stuff he thought Kurt would be impressed by: old magazines, glamorous models from the sixties, and all that. He kind of wanted some one-on-one time with Kurt, not to be slowed down by someone else.

However, when the night actually came, Blaine realized that he had nothing to worry about. Mercedes was in kind of a funk, and kept staring off into space, even before Kurt and Blaine started chattering excitedly. They tried to include Mercedes, but she seemed to be completely uninterested whatsoever, so they just continued on talking about everything under the sun. It felt so _good_ to talk to Kurt. He was just this little ball of energy, and he never seemed to run out of it, when he was this happy. It made Blaine feel so proud to see what he could to someone simply by being kind. However, the smallest part of him felt a pang of guilt, for he knew that Kurt was looking for love, a kind of love that Blaine could not genuinely return.

When it was time for everyone to leave, though it was early (and Friday night at that), Blaine had to admit, he was pretty down. He knew it would be a while before he saw Kurt again. He barely had time to say goodbye before Mercedes dragged Kurt, who was giving her a ride, out the door, without letting Blaine even give him a hug goodbye. Blaine sighed and made it to his car, sad that the little time they had together had passed by so quickly, with the blink of an eye.

* * *

><p>It was a long time before he heard from Kurt again. He remembered seeing an overjoyed Facebook status declaring that Kurt's father and girlfriend, mother of Kurt's classmate and fellow glee club member, Finn Hudson, were getting married. Kurt was apparently planning the wedding, which Blaine knew would be a dream come true to him.<p>

He remembered receiving an invitation to the wedding, which just happened to be the same weekend as a large ski trip the Dalton boys were taking. He'd already committed to the trip months in advance, and he was sure that his situation would not be helped if he blew off his friends for the wedding of the parent of a gay kid and his somewhat-friend, both from a different school, namely one that contained their main competition for Sectionals. Blaine was disappointed that he couldn't attend, though he couldn't lie, he did enjoy the ski trip very much. Kurt filled him in on all of the details over the phone, anyway. The wedding sounded totally awesome, and Kurt seemed to be very excited about it.

However, the excitement vanished as quickly as it had come as Kurt changed the subject of the conversation, changing it to Dave Karofsky. Simply the name made Blaine ripple with hatred. This was the douche who tormented his little Kurt, for no reason other than to just pick on him.

"I hope something bad happened to that asshole." Blaine growled, after Kurt had said he had news regarding Dave.

"He got expelled." Kurt said, the relief heavy in his voice.

"No way! Kurt, that's amazing! Dude, everything's gonna get better, I promise." Blaine said happily, not sure exactly what he should say. It seemed to be enough for Kurt, though.

"Thanks, Blaine. You're amazing." Kurt said, the sincerity in his voice making the guilt in Blaine's stomach turn into a gripping pain.

"Yeah, you too." He said weakly. Kurt bid a cheerful farewell, promising to call again soon so that they could make plans.

Blaine slammed his cell phone down on his side table, groaning. It's not that he didn't love Kurt, and he wasn't happy for him. He was just feeling so overly guilty, which was never a good thing. He started worrying. What if Kurt found out he wasn't really gay? How would he find out, anyway? The possibilities were endless. Blaine knew lots of people, and a simple slip of the tongue could rat him out. Kurt may have been bubbly, but he was not dumb. He would put two and two together, and Blaine would be dead. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't lose Kurt.

* * *

><p>Blaine sat in AP French that afternoon, reciting idly. All of the others in his class were seniors, and he was bored out of his mind. He'd known French practically since birth, since his mother had excelled in it. He sailed through French 1-4, and AP was no harder. He stared blankly at his teacher, who droned on, pronouncing everything wrong, resisting the urge to audibly groan. There was a knock at the door, and Blaine silently prayed that it was someone who would take him out of class. They were discussing sentence structure, and he was nearly asleep.<p>

The teacher, Mr. Marlow, opened the door, and in walked Kurt Hummel.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: **AU, Blaine is a compulsive liar, and was never gay. He just lied to Kurt about being gay.

**Rating:** PG-13, for mild language that eventually develops into stronger language in later chapters, and suggestive themes.

**Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING, SADLY. Well, I own the plot, but that's about it. The characters belong to RIB and the other writers/directors/creators of Glee.

* * *

><p>"Blaine!" Kurt called happily, grinning and waving.<p>

"My name is Kurt Hummel," he said, turning to Mr. Marlow and holding out a hand, which Mr. Marlow shook cautiously, "I go here now. I came from McKinely High School, and just transferred."

"Okay then," said Mr. Marlow, looking a bit confused for some reason, "There's an empty seat right next to Mr. Anderson back there, you can go ahead and sit down."

_This can NOT be happening,_ Blaine thought, mentally groaning. It was hard enough already keeping his secret from Kurt, but it was going to be even harder then, since Kurt was going to the same school.

"Kurt," he whispered enthusiastically, smiling at Kurt as Mr. Marlow started the lesson again, "You go here now?"

"Yeah," Kurt said, blushing and grinning, "My dad and stepmom sacrificed their honeymoon so that I could go here."

He smiled up at Blaine before Mr. Marlow called on him, to which he gave a long and beautiful-sounding response about what he wanted to do over the summer. French made everything sound all the more lovely…

* * *

><p>"We have Warblers practice in five minutes…are you in?" Blaine asked Kurt before they left.<p>

"Oh man," Kurt groaned, looking sad, "I have to get a tour from one of the SCA guys. This is my only free period, and I won't have any time until dinner…"

"It's fine," Blaine cut him off, shrugging, "We have practice again tomorrow, too."

"I'll be there, then." Kurt said, smiling. He turned around, and flounced off. Blaine shook his head. He had almost slipped up.

* * *

><p>"Wes, this is an emergency," Blaine pleaded, "Please, just one meeting, We can talk about sectionals tomorrow."<p>

Wes glared at Blaine, the Holy Gavel clenched tightly in his fist. However, Blaine pleaded and pleaded until he finally agreed. Once all of the other Warblers had filed in and taken seats, Wes called the meeting to order, pounding the Holy Gavel with more force and emphasis then necessary, as usual. He really abused the power of the Gavel some days.

"I call this meeting of the Dalton Academy Warblers to order," he said professionally, in an even tone, "Today, Warbler Blaine needs our help with a personal issue, so our Sectionals meeting will be postponed until tomorrow."

Quiet murmurs were heard, but not many. People didn't question Wes's authority. In addition, pretty much everyone loved Blaine to death, and had his back. Blaine wondered how he had gotten so lucky.

"Warblers," Blaine addressed them, making his way to the front, beside the Council's table, "I am in a bit of a situation."

"As you all very well know, we had a visitor a couple of months ago named Kurt," he continued, "He sat down with me and we had coffee as he told me about what it was like to be openly gay. He is tortured day by day, so much that he has now fled his school to come to Dalton."

"If he wants to join the Warblers," David said, "That is certainly not a problem. We obviously don't judge here."

"Well, that's not the problem," Blaine said, biting his lip, "Wes and David, you two were there when I kind of...lied to Kurt. I…I told him I was gay."

Shocked murmurs ran through the crowd now. The Warblers were easily flustered, and this was no exception. We banged the Hold Gavel, though not needed; the murmurs were not THAT loud, just loud enough to be considered confusion and shock.

"I need your help," Blaine said once everyone was somewhat quiet, "I haven't told him the truth yet, and I don't want him to find out. Kurt is a really great guy, and I'd hate to see him off on his own. We've grown really close, and I don't want to lose him."

"What's in it for us?" piped up a Warbler; Blaine wasn't sure who. He blushed. He hadn't actually considered the fact that the Warblers would want to know what they would get in return for their huge favor.

"Uh…I haven't figured that out yet. I mean, I guess you get a free pass to Sectionals, because Kurt's an amazing singer," he said sheepishly, looking down at his feet, "Just help me out here. Kurt is totally alone, and he needs someone like me….erm, my gay alter ego, I should say, to guide him along. If you guys would go with me on this on, it would be great. That is all."

He quickly walked back to his feet, hands placed nervously in his lap. He looked down at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with the Warblers around him. Wes banged the Gavel, though nobody was talking, and started to talk.

"All in favor of assisting Warbler Blaine with his…situation?" he asked calmly, yet a bit awkwardly, his eyes burning holes in Blaine's head.

Blaine didn't even look up to see the count. He knew nobody would agree with him. It was a stupid, manipulative idea, and the Warblers wouldn't see it from his point of view.

"Okay," Wes said, banging the Gavel again, "We have reached our decision. We the Warblers will help you out, Warbler Blaine."

Blaine looked up, jaw dropped, at a smiling Wes. Well, he was smiling as much as Wes could. The rest of the Warblers were nodding in approval.

"This Kurt better be one hell of a guy." James, another Warbler muttered, making the rest of them laugh.

"Oh, he is," Blaine said, nodding vigorously, "You guys will love him."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: **AU, Blaine is a compulsive liar, and was never gay. He just lied to Kurt about being gay.

**Rating:** PG-13, for mild language that eventually develops into stronger language in later chapters, and suggestive themes.

**Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING, SADLY. Well, I own the plot, but that's about it. The characters belong to RIB and the other writers/directors/creators of Glee.

* * *

><p>"And now," Wyatt said, calmly as ever, after pounding the Gavel, "Let's welcome the newest addition to the Warblers…Kurt Hummel."<p>

Blaine opened the doors to see a frazzled Kurt standing there, mesmerized. He strutted in, though Blaine could see his legs shaking. His anticipation and nervousness was kind of adorable, actually. He looked surprised that the Warblers were clapping, as if he'd never been treated that way before.

Wyatt banged the Gavel again, though not as hard (Blaine still wanted to rip it out of his hand and bang his head in with it, though), and continued.

"And our oldest tradition for our newest Warbler," Wes said, smiling a bit politely, "an actual Warbler."

That was Blaine's cue. He grinned and gestured towards the caged Warbler, hopping around happily.

"Kurt, meet Pavarotti," he said. Before he could say any more, Wes cut him off.

"This bird is a member of an unbroken line of canaries who have been at Dalton since 1891." Wes said. That was his favorite bit.

"It's your job to take care of him," he continued as Blaine carried the cage gingerly to Kurt, "So he can live to carry on the Warbler legacy. Protect him. That bird is your voice."

"Hey, I'll bring him to work with me," Kurt said, chuckling, "On weekends, I volunteer at a stray cat rescue."

Nobody laughed at the obvious joke. Blaine tried not to, so that he fit in with everyone else. Kurt looked around, and was obviously disappointed in their lack of a sense of humor.

"It's at the bottom of a coal mine." Kurt ended awkwardly, hoping to preserve the joke. Still, nobody said or did anything. Pavarotti chirped happily, hopping around some more. Blaine almost smiled at the adorableness of the bird.

"That was a joke. I don't…I don't work at a coal mine." Kurt said quietly, shaking his head and definitely frowning. Blaine felt bad; he looked so out of place. Blaine couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit at his attempts to set the records straight; he was trying so hard to impress the other Warblers.

Then, Wes tapped that damn Gavel again. Blaine was about to strangle him, though he kept a calm face. Wes was not someone you wanted against you.

"Let the Council come to order," Wes said, smiling a bit as if mocking Kurt.

MOCKING him. Blaine REALLY wanted to strangle him. Who was he to make fun of the poor, insecure boy? Just because he'd been at Dalton for two days and still didn't fit in? That was uncalled for. Blaine promised himself to talk to Wes after practice.

"Today we discuss the set list for Sectionals," he continued blatantly unaware of Blaine's fuming anger.

"Council?" Kurt asked, looking interested as he put down Pavarotti's cage.

"We don't have a director," Blaine cut in, suddenly greedy for Kurt's attention for some reason, "Every year we elect three upperclassmen to lead the group."

"Don't worry," he added, "We all get a say."

"Fantastic," Kurt said, suddenly looking super enthusiastic and clapping his hands together, "I have a LOT of ideas. Warblers, if I may?"

Before anyone could answer, Kurt, in his excitement, went on.

"Now, I can't deny that the Warblers' vocals are absolutely dreamy," Kurt said, the phrase 'absolutely dreamy' making Blaine feel fuzzy inside, for another unknown reason to him, "But I believe our set for sectionals this year should have a little more showbiz. We should open with 'Rio' by Duran Duran."

_Oh no,_ Blaine thought, shaking his head. The Council didn't take suggestions. EVER. This was going to be bad. He was hoping Wes wouldn't blow up on Kurt; after all, he WAS new.

"Uh, the Council is responsible for song selection." David said smugly, adding his name to Blaine's Hit List with a snarky look directed towards Kurt.

"But, we appreciate your enthusiasm, Kurt," Wes added, putting him a few places lower on the list as well. He was getting better, "It will come in handy someday when you're sitting behind this desk."

Kurt looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't. Blaine just watched him, looking completely embarrassed, stand up there next to Wes, trying not to cry. At least that's what it seemed like to Blaine. He wished he could just tell Kurt that it was okay; his enthusiasm was GREAT. However, he just sat in silence, watching.

"Now," Wes continued, "I propose we do our entire set at Sectionals in 8-part harmony…"

* * *

><p>"Hey Kurt," Blaine said, catching up with his friend after practice, "Wait up!"<p>

He ran down the stairs to catch up with him, out of breath as they walked down the spiral staircase they'd met on. It was funny how that turned out. He'd decided not to talk to Wes, at least not today. But yes, he would. Eventually, he was going to beat the crap out of Wes for everything: mocking Kurt, being such a prick, and overusing that stupid Gavel. For now, he needed to talk to Kurt; that was more important than anything right now.

"I saw that Glee club was hard for you today…seeing your ideas shot down like that." He said, truly feeling bad.

"It's just a different energy in there," Kurt said, shrugging it off, "Not better or worse…just something I'll have to get used to."

_You hated it,_ Blaine thought, _and now you hate me._ He was sure then that Kurt was going to quit. He was not going to let that happen, though, so he attempted to salvage that hope Kurt had to be a Warblers star.

"Well, we recognize that," he said, trying to sound as understanding as he felt, "And we have a tradition at this school of rewarding a student with a good attitude."

"So," he said, swiveling around to face Kurt, "I'd like to invite you to audition for a solo."

"For sectionals?" Kurt asked, looking flattered beyond flattered.

"For sectionals," Blaine confirmed, grinning at Kurt's delighted surprise.

"Sing something good," he said, walking away and cherishing that look on Kurt's face, the blush that crept into his rosy cheeks.

_What the hell am I doing?_ He asked himself as he walked away quickly, shaking his head. He shouldn't be thinking Kurt was adorable; straight guys didn't think men were adorable. Hopefully it was just a feeling that would pass.

* * *

><p>Kurt sang 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' for his solo audition. It was quite captivating, Blaine had to admit.<p>

Kurt had started off in front of the window, seemingly singing to the sky outside. It was very nice, very refined, and it seemed to please the council. Blaine thought it was nice, though he was trying not to pay too much attention to Kurt. Since the last Warblers practice, he'd had to remind himself that he was not attracted to Kurt. It took a trip to the mall to scope out girls for Blaine to get back on track, but if that was all it took, he'd be just fine.

Blaine's biggest fear was being gay. He'd never actually gone through a gay phase, though he was always paranoid that it might happen. He didn't want to be making out with men; the thought repulsed him. Whenever he was even vaguely attracted to some guy, he'd have to find a way to remind himself that he was straight. It was kind of stupid, but Blaine was completely serious. He'd had a couple of gay friends before, and their social lives hadn't exactly been ones to envy.

So, as Kurt sang, Blaine stared blankly, thinking of anything that crossed his mind at that moment. He zoned quite often, so it wasn't that hard. However, when Kurt made his way across the room, closer to Blaine, he had to pay attention. Kurt was doing a wonderful job, and he was once again captivated. Kurt started to raise his arms a bit overdramatically, and Blaine signaled for him to lower them, and he gracefully did so, making it seem natural.

Kurt seemed to be looking _right at him_ when he sang. Even when he moved back to the other side of the room, Blaine couldn't help but see that Kurt was still watching his blank reaction. Blaine felt kind of bad, but decided that it was for the best. As Kurt finished, he clapped politely along with the other Warblers, but that was it. That was plan A: Don't show Kurt any strong feelings, and he won't come onto you. Anyway, there were plenty of other Warblers who were gay, so it's not like he would be stranding Kurt. He would be just fine.

Blaine just wasn't the right guy for him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Yes, I know I'm in trouble for not updating in forever, but I've been uber busy! I'll (hopefully) be uploading a chapter a day, and I have a bunch (and I mean a BUNCH) of other one shots I will be uploading as well. I also have a tumblr now, you can follow me if you'd like! (or not, it's your choice.) It's **jjjjordo . tumblr . com** if you remove the spaces. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee or any of its characters, nor do I claim to.

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><p>"Really?" Blaine groaned.<p>

"You'll be just like Ryan Seacrest." David pointed out, laughing.

He and Wes had officially appointed Blaine as the emcee for the solo competition for sectionals. Blaine dreaded the job, though he was good at it; his lying about the talent of the losers came in handy, according to the Council, full of members who wouldn't tell the grim reaper that he was unattractive out of fear that they would hurt his feelings.

"Now, go. Tell Jeff and Nick that they made it, and Kurt didn't." Wes said, shooing him out of the room so that he could go greet the two moving on to the next round.

"What?" Blaine asked, frowning. Kurt hadn't made it? But he was amazing.

"Sorry, but that's the way it is!" Wes called after him.

Blaine forced himself to put on a calm face as he walked to the room where the contestants were eagerly awaiting the results.

"Hey guys," he said, walking in, "Nick, Jeff…Congrats, you're moving on."

Jeff and Nick got up, looking super relieved as they hugged each other. Blaine was happy for them. They were both really talented, and deserved it. However, nothing could distract him from the look on Kurt's face; the disappointment was obvious. It just about broke Blaine's heart. However, he told himself to treat Kurt like he would treat a crying kid: care, but don't get too involved. He pat Nick and Jeff on the back as they walked out, but couldn't make himself leave as well.

"Any sage advice?" Kurt asked, looking cool and calm for someone so fragile and breakable.

Blaine felt even worse for him. Here he was, after working his butt off to put on a show, and he was trying not to cry. It wasn't even worth it. The solo was never a big deal, and was usually cancelled every year because the arrangement chosen didn't fit the winner's vocal range, and Blaine had won by default. At least, that had happened the past three years at sectionals, and other events. Kurt was way over thinking it.

"Don't try so hard next time." Blaine said, making his way across the room to Kurt and standing next to him.

"I didn't realize that caring was frowned upon." Kurt said coldly, though he still wore the same expression on his face.

That one just angered Blaine. Who was this kid to think that e could insult Blaine and the other Warblers like that? Just because he was new, did he deserve the right to trash talk their behaviors, just because they were different. Blaine forced himself to keep the same expression, very chill. Yelling at Kurt wouldn't do him a thing.

"I don't know how it worked at your old school," he said calmly," but did you notice that we all wear uniforms around here? It's about being part of the team."

_But not on yours, so don't get any ideas, _he thought, though held his tongue. That would be foul play.

"I guess I'm just used to having to scream to get noticed," Kurt said sadly.

How pitiful. The kid was not only weak and needy, but also selfish. Blaine may not have worked his butt off to become a star of the Warblers, but everyone else had. It wasn't fair that Kurt came prancing along, wanting attention, when people like James or Elliot never got noticed, even though they worked twice as hard. It he thought that he could come in and immediately become the star, then he was badly mistaken. Blaine wasn't going to let him feel okay for that.

"Well, you're not going to make it as a Warbler if all you care about is getting noticed." He said coldly, though not too coldly. He still had to pretend to be sensitive.

"You're right," Kurt said, naturally agreeing with him, "I'm sorry."

This annoyed Blaine even more. Kurt had immediately backed out just to agree with him. Didn't he realize that Blaine wasn't interested? No, of course he didn't. He was so thick-headed because he thought he was in love. He didn't even KNOW Blaine, not really. He needed to move on, to find someone else.

Blaine needed to leave. He couldn't spend another moment with Kurt before he would blow up in his face or tell him that he wasn't really gay. But he knew that Kurt needed someone, and he was just going to have to be that someone until Kurt found somebody to really love. That was all he needed; Blaine just needed to guide him there.

"I know it's going to take some getting used to," Blaine said, faking encouragement, "But you'll fit in soon enough. I promise"

Kurt smiled, and Blaine turned, frowning as soon as Kurt couldn't see his face. He walked stiffly out of the room, not even daring to turn around.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell is he?" Blaine groaned, pacing. The Warblers would be on soon at sectionals, and Kurt was nowhere to be seen.<p>

"Go look for him." Wes demanded, and Blaine didn't question or protest. Wes was in pre-competition mode, and nobody messed with him during that time.

Blaine spent the next five minutes looking for Kurt, and finally, when he was about to give up, found him talking to a petite girl as if they were pals. He was fuming, but didn't want to embarrass Kurt, who looked a bit heartbroken as the girl and he conversed. Plus, the girl was giving him a look as if she were about to chop off his head. Instead, he took the gentle approach.

"Kurt," he said, placing a hand on Kurt's shoulder, "We're on in five."

Kurt got up, looking relieved. He said goodbye to the girl, named Rachel. Blaine smiled politely and nodded at her, though she looked like someone had just slapped her in the face. Blaine and Kurt walked away quickly, to Kurt's obvious relief.

"Next time, I am not saving you from the wrath of Wes." Blaine whispered harshly as they made their way backstage. Kurt just smiled as if it were all a joke.

* * *

><p>"He-ey," Blaine sang as the curtain went up, "He-e-e-e-ey, he-e-e-e-ey…"<p>

He had to admit, he had butterflies in his stomach. Blaine couldn't even count how many times he'd sang in front of an audience, the majority of those times being solos. However, he still got nervous every time. People were always telling him how confident he was, which was true, but as soon as he got on stage, it was like confident Blaine had never even existed. In his place was a knee-wobbling, nervous amateur. He feared that maybe if he sang, he would die on stage. Or, maybe he would forget the lyrics or he would sing and nothing would come out…

"Your lipstick stains," he sang, looking up at the audience, which didn't make the situation much better, "On the front lobe of my left side brains…"

The song itself was very childish and bouncy, so it wasn't like he wouldn't be able to crack a smile to hide the fear. His confident tone was another one of his lies that just worked; it gave the impression that he actually had a handle on the fact that this was a competition and the future of the Warblers could depend on this moment. He just smiled and sang, while the fear burned inside of him, threatening to shake his poker face.

He walked around the stage to ease the fear: making gestures to the others and playing it up. It's what he always did. He goofed around and hammed it up because that's what made everyone think he was so confident. The choreography was simple and all, and the Warblers were perfectly in synch, as usual.

During the first chorus, when Blaine was hopping two and fro, he glanced at Kurt for half a second, and his confidence threatened to waver. Kurt looked disappointed, like he wasn't as happy to be there as everyone else. This bugged Blaine for the rest of the performance, and he tried to look at Kurt and interact with him, smile at him as much as possible without ruining the choreography, to see if it cheered him up. He couldn't ask him what the problem was, but he could at least attempt to make him feel better.

By the time they had finished, Kurt had plastered a smile on his face, but Blaine could see right through it and could tell that it was fake. He admired the effort, though. However, the smile soon became real after a standing ovation, led by Kurt's old glee club. Even Blaine had to smile at that.

* * *

><p>"In third place…"<p>

Blaine's heart beat rapidly, threatening to bust out of his chest. He was more than nervous, as was every other person on that stage. When the Hipsters were crowned 3rd place, he had to admit, he was super relieved, yet not surprised. This just increased the tension between New Directions and the Warblers.

"And now," the announcer said, obviously not in a hurry, "The winner of this year's West Central sectionals is…"

Blaine almost couldn't hear; his heart was pumping so loudly.

"It's a tie."

* * *

><p>"I got your texts…what's wrong?" Blaine asked, walking into one of the common rooms at Dalton.<p>

Kurt was sitting on a sofa, worriedly staring at Pavarotti's cage. He had sent Blaine a number of annoyingly frantic texts, and Blaine had reluctantly promised to be there in a minute. He had to ditch Wes and David, who had been playing Frisbee with him, to go see Kurt. That had gotten him laughed off of the lawn.

"It's Pavarotti, I think he's sick…" Kurt said, looking deeply troubled, "I've taken good care of him, but he won't sing, and he's losing his feathers…"

"Oh, he's just molting. He's growing a new coat of feathers, so his body has to shut down a little." Blaine said, in a gentle matter-of-factly voice. It was so obvious; didn't Kurt know anything about birds?

"But don't worry about it," he added, chuckling at Kurt's worry, "He's got food, water…he seems to like his cage…Just give it a little while. He'll be singing again in no time."

He made eye contact with Kurt there. Blaine interrupted what Kurt probably took as being romantic with a reminder.

"Don't forget Warbler practice tonight at 5. Regionals, here we come!" he said, nudging Kurt. He pat Kurt's knee encouragingly and walked out as quickly as he could without seeming too obvious.


	6. Chapter 6

The worst part is that this is already finished, I just haven't uploaded it! :(

Forgive me? While I continue to update this (and add the other things I've written), leave me a prompt at my fic tumblr, which I have just created. I want to write some new stuff! It's the same url from before; **jjjjordo . tumblr . com**

Thanks so much for your patience, love ya!

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><p>Blaine avoided Kurt for the next two weeks. He sometimes ignored him during French class, and almost every time Kurt tried to make plans, he disregarded them, saying he had a lot of studying, or was spending time with his family, or something like that.<p>

It wasn't because he didn't like Kurt; in fact, he thought Kurt was great. The Warblers thought so, too. They were a lot friendlier during practice, and Kurt was warming up to them as well. He just didn't want to spend too much time with Kurt, or lead him on. That was the LAST thing he wanted to do. He had sensed that Kurt was flirting with him, which was not good, according to his plan. Blaine had sent the signals out that he wasn't interested, but Kurt was persistent.

But Blaine couldn't keep it up for long. He had come to actually consider Kurt more of a friend, and he really needed the guy sometimes. In particular, he needed a partner to rehearse with him for the King's Island Christmas Spectacular. He was invited to sing every year, and this one was no exception. However, this year, it was a duet performance.

The other guys were not that vocally compatible with Blaine, and it wasn't like there were any girls around at Dalton. Blaine knew that Kurt would agree, so he asked him to help out. After all, he had wanted so badly to duet with Blaine; he had seen it in Kurt's eyes whenever a duet was proposed (and accordingly shot down).

He walked in on a winter evening, when the snow was gently sprinkling outside. Kurt was hard at work studying.

Funny. Nobody studied at Dalton.

"Hey," he said, plopping down a CD player on one of the end tables in the room.

"You scared me," Kurt said, gasping.

"Good," Blaine whispered, raising his eyebrows and slowly walking towards Kurt, "Cause I'm actually Marley's ghost, and I am here to tell you to stop studying so hard."

"What's with the boom box?"

Of course. Blaine laughed inside. Kurt wouldn't even pay attention to Blaine's horrible comeback with the boom box about ten feet away.

"I need you to sing with me," Blaine sighed.

"Well, rehearse with me," he added quickly as the longing in Kurt's eyes returned, "I got a gig singing 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' in the King's Island Christmas Spectacular."

"Oh, a personal favorite," Kurt said, trying (and failing) to hide his excitement, "Too bad they'd never let us sing it together."

_Yeah, how unfortunate,_ Blaine thought sarcastically.

"I mean…as two artists." Kurt added awkwardly, taking the silence as confusion.

"So, you gonna help me out here?" Blaine said impatiently.

"Anything to get me to stop reading about Charlemagne," Kurt said gratefully.

_Stop lying to yourself, _Blaine thought, _you know you want to sing with me_.

"Very good, then." He said, closing the book and making his way over to the boom box to start the CD instrumental.

He walked and twirled over to Kurt, and gestured for him to start.

"I really can't stay…" he said, looking admiringly up at Blaine.

"But baby, it's cold outside…" Blaine sang smoothly, trying not to be taken aback.

Had his voice always been that smooth? It was nearly perfect. It melted into Blaine's perfectly, as did their impromptu choreography. It hadn't dawned on Blaine until then that Kurt was a true talent. He seemed to be very familiar with theatricality, judging by the way he let the character of the song become him. Blaine resisted the urge to reach out and hold his hand. It was like he was no longer Blaine, but the man in the song. He and Kurt chased each other around the room. Blaine nudged up against him a few times, and electricity sparked through him.

It was funny how a good actor could do that to you; Blaine almost believed for a second that he was into Kurt. He laughed at the thought as they finished.

"I think you're ready." Kurt said in approval, nodding. He was obviously pleased.

"Well, for the record," Blaine said, getting up, "You are much better than that girl's gonna be."

And that was the truth.

* * *

><p>Blaine's winter break was spent skiing with his family…again. What was with them and skiing? Shortly after the end of that, there were midterms to study for, for which Blaine was totally unprepared. In all of the chaos, he didn't get to spend much time with Kurt. Classes were spent making study guides, and Warblers practices had been put on hold until after midterms. They had one rehearsal at the end, but that was just about the only time Blaine got to spend with Kurt. So, they arranged to go get coffee afterwards with Rachel, the girl from sectionals, and Kurt's other best friend, Mercedes, whom Blaine recognized from a dinner they'd had with Kurt.<p>

He and Kurt playfully joked about how amazing the number they'd just rehearsed was as they got their drinks and sat down. Mercedes and Rachel shot each other a look, and Blaine knew something was wrong. Kurt sensed it as well.

Rachel and Mercedes dived into some tragedy about how their football team was falling apart, and Rachel said something about Finn. Blaine was kind of listening it out as he ate his biscotti. The only time he piped in was when Kurt mentioned bringing warm milk to his brother every night. He gave Kurt a doubting look, shaking his head.

"Wait, so the whole team quit?" Blaine interjected once it sounded like they were done. He wanted to be able to help; they seemed distressed.

"Everybody in glee. I mean, you can't play football with five guys, and one of them is in a wheelchair." Mercedes said, shrugging.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed, "Coach Beiste put up a sign up sheet for people to join…I think they'll take anyone at this point."

"Well the good news," Blaine said, proud that he knew a thing or two about football, "Is that you actually only need four more guys. High school regulations actually let you play a couple guys short if you want to."

"But," he said encouragingly after Mercedes and Rachel exchanged glances, "If they figure out a way to make it work, you can bet that we'll definitely be there to cheer 'em on."

"Totally," Kurt eagerly interjected, "Blaine and I love football."

"Well," he added, correcting himself, "Blaine loves football. I love scarves."

* * *

><p>They ended up going to the game together. Girls had been recruited to the team, and after the first quarter, Blaine only pretended to pay attention. The game itself was quite boring; the halftime show, however was amazing. Zombie players and cheerleaders sang a mash up of Thriller and Heads Will Roll, which was fantastic. He and Kurt danced along, being eyed suspiciously by Kurt's dad.<p>

_Don' t worry_, he thought towards Mr. Hummel, _I'm not interested in your son._


	7. Chapter 7

I'm trying to write some new material outside of a couple of WIPs I'm working on, leave me some prompts? **jjjjordo . tumblr . com**?

And thanks so much for all of your support, you guys are awesome! It's funny to see people enthusiastic about it when I wrote it so long ago, and especially since it makes me cringe when I read it. My writing has developed a lot since I wrote this, that's for sure.

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><p>"Guys," Blaine said, "I need help."<p>

He had called a secret Warblers meeting for a select few whom he knew could keep a secret or whom he knew would help him out: Wes, David, Jeff, Nick, Thad, Logan Clayton, and James. They were in the meeting room commonly used for Warblers practice, casually assembled on the sofas. It was totally unofficial, yet Wes clutched the Holy Gavel tightly in his hand, though there was nothing for him to bang it on. Blaine wondered if he slept with it.

"With?" Thad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kurt," Blaine said, though he was sure everyone else could answer that question, "He's still…you know…into me. I need a way to get him off my back, without hurting him too badly. Any ideas?"

"Tell the truth." David suggested.

"No," Blaine said, shaking his head, "I'm in too far to do that. He'll never figure out anyway."

"Well, why is Kurt attracted to you? If we can figure out what it is, maybe we can convince him otherwise." We said, ever practical. The other Warblers nodded in approval.

"Let's see…" Blaine said, "I dunno…"

"He thinks you're romantic," Jeff piped up, a soft smile on his face, "He told me. He says that 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' was the most romantic duet he's ever sang."

A few snickers erupted; the rest of the Warblers at the meeting had no idea bout Blaine and Kurt's little song. Blaine looked down at his feet, embarrassed.

"Anyway," Wes said, stifling a bit of a chuckle himself, "We need to convince Kurt otherwise."

"But how do we do that?" Logan asked.

"Show Kurt just how bad he is at romance, of course," James piped up, speaking for the first time during the meeting, "Clayton and I have a cousin who just moved here, and he works at the GAP. Have Blaine be hopelessly in love with him, and then we'll have it fall through. Kurt will see how lousy with romance Blaine is, and he might just give up."

"But what if he doesn't give up?" Blaine asked.

"Then we'll have to keep trying. We're here for you. Blaine." David said. The rest of the Warblers nodded in agreement.

"Okay, so it's settled. Now, we discuss when and where." Wes said, nodding.

* * *

><p>They were in a coffee shop about a week later, on a particularly chilly day. School had let out, but the morose state of the weather encouraged the Dalton students to stay inside. Kurt and Blaine picked their signature hang out, the Lima Bean. While they waited in line anxiously, Kurt, being his bitter-when-it-comes-to-romance self, was ranting about Valentine's Day and all. He picked up a cute puppy plush and looked at it, disgusted.<p>

"Okay, I'm all for flair," he said, holding it out to Blaine, "but these Valentine's Day decorations are just tacky. I mean, what the hell is this supposed to be?"

"It's clearly puppy love," Blaine said, disgusted by Kurt's distaste, "It's cute. Come on."

The Kurt Kouncil (Wes had come up with the name; nobody had argued because the Gavel had been clutched so tightly in his hand and he looked so ready to whack something with it) had decided that Blaine needed to play up the hopeless romantic part. Then, after the disappointment, he'd pretend to be the bitter guy with no hope left. Kind of like Kurt.

The puppy plush made some sort of kissing noise and Kurt just looked at it in disgust and murmured "oh," as he put it back.

"Adorable," Blaine said, grinning, though the thing disgusted him, too.

"It's a simple excuse to sell candy and greeting cards on a holiday." Kurt said, rolling his eyes.

"Not true," Blaine denied, "People have been celebrating Valentine's Day for centuries."

"And call me a hopeless romantic," he said, a bit over-the-top, "But it's my favorite holiday."

"Really?" Kurt said skeptically, raising his eyebrows.

Blaine knew Wes would get him for this, but he couldn't resist. He decided to lay it on even more thickly, just to emphasize his character.

"I think there's something really great about a day where you're encouraged to just lay it all out on the line and say to somebody: 'I'm in love with you.'"

The look Kurt gave him after that was almost enough for him to want to take it back. Kurt looked like he had just won the lottery and had been delivered the check by Patti LuPone herself, while he floated on a cloud of magic and cotton candy.

Okay, that was way over-exaggerating. However, the look on Kurt's face was still pretty peaceful and hopeful, which made Blaine sick to his stomach.

"You know," he said, not wanting to make it too obvious that he noticed," And this year I want to do something really radical. So, I need your opinion on this."

Kurt nodded, and he continued.

"But there's this guy," Blaine started off, "That I sort of…like. And, I've only known him for a little while, but I want to tell him that I think my feelings are starting to change into something…deeper…"

It all sounded wrong. Blaine was NOT supposed to like guys. How was he supposed to go through with this if he could barely tell anyone that he had feelings in the first place? He sighed, and tried his hardest to make to make it sound convincing, though he'd probably screwed it up already. He may have been a good liar, but this kind of lie was completely unprecedented in his book.

"So I have to ask," he continued, shifting nervously, "Do you think it's too much to sing to somebody on Valentine's Day?"

"Not at all." Kurt said, getting that look on his face again. However, this time, it was even more love struck.

Blaine turned away quickly and went up to order, not wanting to see Kurt's face like that. It made him feel so…guilty. He hated feeling guilty for leading Kurt on.

"What can I get you?" the lady at the counter asked.

Blaine rattled off his (and Kurt's) order, added a cupid cookie (definitely over-the-top hopeless romantic) and smiled sweetly at the lady, all without looking at Kurt.

"You know my coffee order?" he heard Kurt ask softly.

"Of course I do," Blaine said, pulling out his wallet. Why wouldn't he have it memorized? They went to get coffee so often.

"That'll be $8.40" the lady at the register said.

"Don't even bother, dummy," Blaine said, pulling out a ten. He didn't need Kurt to pay for his own drink; it would be selfish. He told the lady to keep the change, then went to go get some napkins.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Blaine said, walking down the hall during a free period. He had been looking for Kurt, whom he found scribbling in a notebook, which he promptly closed.<p>

"Whatcha doing?" he asked, grinning at Kurt's surprised look. What was he doing, writing 'Blaine + Kurt' or something equally goofy?

"Nothing," Kurt said, looking guilty and trying to cover it up, "Just daydreaming. Plotting weekend outfits."

_Daydreaming about you and me, right? Keep daydreaming_. Blaine ignored his thoughts for once.

"Well, come on," Blaine said, nodding towards the end of the hall, "You're gonna want to see this. I've called an emergency meeting of the Warblers council."

"Sounds serious," Kurt said, getting up.

"Let's hope not, "Blaine said, placing his hands on Kurt's shoulders. Wait…why had he felt the need to do that?

"I just need to ask them a tiny little favor." He said, moving his hands closer to Kurt's neck.

For some reason, his hands didn't want to move anywhere off of Kurt's shoulders.

* * *

><p>"This emergency meeting is called to order," We said, banging that damn Gavel, "Junior member Blaine Anderson, the floor is yours."<p>

Wes nodded as he said this. The Warblers in on the Kurt Kouncil had already had a meeting prior to this one, practicing how it was going to go down. The other members were scattered, so nobody outside of the group had any idea what was going on, especially not Kurt.

"Esteemed council, I'll be brief." he said, nodding back at Wes.

"Simply put," he continued, pausing for a while because of his awkwardness with his role, "I'm in love."

The Warblers mumbled. Such a scandal was not often the subject of an emergency meeting. In fact, not many 'fell in love,' and when they did, it wasn't that big of a deal. They seemed excited, and Kurt looked up at Blaine like he was the sun. Pavarotti chirped in approval.

"Congrats," someone, probably David, said.

"I'm not really good at talking about my feelings. I'm much better at singing them." He said, making eye contact with anyone but Kurt, who wouldn't wipe that look off of his face.

"But still, I could use a little help," he said, "Which is why I'm asking to enlist the Warblers to help serenade this individual…in song…off campus."

The room erupted in pandemonium. Pavarotti got scared. Wes, of course, banged the damn Gavel.

"I-I-I know what I'm asking is slightly unusual…" Blaine said, as planned.

"The Warblers haven't performed in an informal setting since 1927, when the spirit of St. Louis overshot the tarmac and plowed through seven Warblers during an impromptu rendition of 'Welcome to Ohio, Lucky Lindy…'" Wes delivered his line spot-on, and it was all Blaine could do not to laugh. It was perfect.

"Why would we even consider what you're asking?" David added.

"I firmly believe that our reticence to perform in public nearly cost us a trip to regionals," Blaine said, "We're becoming privileged, porcelain birds perched on a…"

He couldn't even finish his line, as planned, before even higher chaos broke out. Everyone was storming, the Kouncil members all helping ignite loud arguments, as rehearsed.

"You MOCK us, sir!" Thad said, a line he had come up with and the rest had fallen in love with.

Wes banged the Gavel. "Thad," he said, "David, I will have order."

And he wasn't screwing around. When Wes said stuff like that, you knew that if you didn't agree with him, shit was going to go down.

Kurt raised his hand, and Blaine felt the color drain from his face a bit.

"May I please say something?" he said, waving his hand like an eager second grader.

"With respect," he said, getting up and going without waiting for a response, "I believe Blaine has a point. The Warblers are so concerned with image and tradition that sometimes, I feel like we miss out on opportunities to step outside our comfort zones."

_Kurt,_ Blaine thought, shooting mental daggers, _Shut up. We have it covered._ Yet, Kurt kept talking.

"When I was on New Directions, we performed in front of hostile crowds, pretty much anywhere we went: mattress stores, shopping malls…I had a cat thrown at me in a nursing home once."

That comment certainly lightened everyone up. They all chuckled. Even David and Wes cracked a smile.

"But it gave us confidence," he added, "And it kept us loose."

"And where would this performance take place?" Wes asked, cutting Kurt off. He wanted to stick to at least part of the schedule.

"The GAP at the North Hills Mall," Blaine said, glad that they were almost finished with the meeting, "I'd like to call it the Warblers GAP attack."

Everyone laughed again, and Kurt looked excited.

"Why the GAP?" he asked quickly, grinning as he rocked in his seat.

"The guy I like is a junior manager." Blaine replied, grinning a grin so fake, he was sure that everyone was about to call him out on it.

Kurt's smile immediately dropped.

It was like you could hear his heart breaking.


	8. Chapter 8

"That's him," Blaine said, nodding towards Clayton and James's cousin, "The blonde one folding sweaters." He pawed through some jackets that he could care less about, watching the guy.

He was supposed to be pretending to be nervous, but that wasn't too hard. He really was. He was going out into public, serenading a guy, of all things to be doing in public. He prayed that hot girls would stay away from the GAP that day; he wouldn't be able to handle it if people thought he was really gay. It's not like he could tell them it was an act, with Kurt there and everything. Even if Kurt wasn't there, they probably wouldn't believe him anyway.

"I can see the appeal," Kurt said, interrupting his thoughts as always, "That's quite a head of hair."

"His name's Jeremiah," Blaine said, "If he and I got married, the GAP would give me a 50% discount."

Out of the corner of his eye, Blaine saw both Jeff and Wes's heads pop up from where they were casually browsing. Jeff looked disappointed; Wes, however, looked infuriated. Blaine had decided to piss Kurt off by throwing in the 'married' line, and it wasn't in Wes's list of acceptable lines. Kurt, on the other hand, shot him a doubting glance.

Blaine couldn't do this. He didn't have the courage to sing to a guy he didn't know, and pretend he was gay. He didn't have the courage to pretend to be in love, when he never had really been in love before. Sure, he'd had girlfriends, but they were just to pass the time…he hadn't had one since the eighth grade. He started sweating and breathing heavily. He had to get out before it was too late. The rest of the Warblers would understand, wouldn't they?

"This is insane, I don't know what I'm doing…we really haven't gone out on a date…we shouldn't do this." Blaine said, making up excuses on the fly. They sounded pretty convincing, and he started walking out of the store.

"Okay…come on, come on, man up," Kurt said, grabbing him and pushing him towards the counter where Jeremiah was folding sweaters, "You're amazing…he's gonna love you."

Wes was giving Blaine the stink eye…Blaine knew he was in for it. There was no turning back now. He took a deep breath, and mustered up the courage to give Wes a nod, his cue to start everyone off. During the intro, Blaine made his way over to Jeremiah. Jeremiah was totally in on the plan, but it was up to him to play the role well, to look like he hadn't seen it coming. All Blaine had to do was follow him around the store and dance a little: pretty easy. Of course, he'd jump on some furniture too; that was Blaine's favorite part. Jumping on furniture was the best part of a performance, when convenient.

"Does she want me to carry her home, now? So does she want me to buy her things?" Blaine sang, picking up a sick pair of pink sunglasses and putting them on. He promised himself he'd buy them sometime.

Soon, he was singing face-to-face with Jeremiah. If it got more intimate, he'd probably die from embarrassment.

"Baby girl, you just shh," he sang, looking straight at Jeremiah as he stood on a circular display, the Warblers spinning him around, "That makes you my equivalent."

At that moment, he really wanted to bust out laughing. Jeremiah looked like he was about to start kissing Blaine madly, which was completely ironic. Kurt, on the other hand, looked downright shocked, wearing the flustered expression that Blaine had so carefully memorized by now. He was making both of them swoon, which was both surprising, yet not at the same time.

Blaine noticed as he chased Jeremiah around again that Kurt couldn't take his eyes off of him. This should have bothered him, but instead ignited a foolish pride. He was making Kurt Hummel's heart cry out for him, and that was amazing to him. He could twist it and make Kurt swoon, just with a sly smile and a song. That was something he was going to have to use more often.

Blaine found it easier to perform after that. He was right in front of the cash register, where Jeremiah stood, yet he wasn't intimidated; he was cockier. Now that he'd seen the look on Jeremiah's face, he knew that it would be him in the end who'd look like more of a man, not Jeremiah. So, naturally, he teased a bit. He smiled more charmingly and danced a bit more, just to play around. Because that's what Blaine did: he played around and twisted people, just to have a little fun. It wasn't cruel or sick, just a bit of fun, right?

He ended off dramatically by jumping off a display table, grabbing some socks, and power sliding right in front of the cash register where Jeremiah was standing. He held up the socks and grinned at Jeremiah's failed attempts to conceal his interest.

_No thank you, _Blaine thought towards Jeremiah as the shoppers clapped enthusiastically for the Warblers, _I've already got one after me, and he's a hell of a lot hotter than you are._

Wait…had he really just thought that?

* * *

><p>"Was it too much?"<p>

Blaine asked the question as he and Kurt sat on a bench outside in the chilly February air. He had to follow up with the plan, which included a public rejection from Jeremiah, right in front of Kurt. Kurt needed to see it with his own eyes, the Kouncil had decided.

"Yeah, it was too much." Blaine said after Kurt eyeing him and an awkward silence.

Finally, Jeremiah walked out and Blaine groaned eternally. He hadn't exactly gotten to talk with him before, so neither guy had an idea of what they were doing. There was a very general goal, and they somehow needed to get there. Thankfully, James had mentioned that Jeremiah was an actor, so Blaine prayed that he was good at improvisation.

"Jeremiah!" he called, playing up the hopeless romantic part again. "Hey!"

"What the hell were you doing?" Jeremiah asked, staring at him intensely.

"What?" Blaine asked innocently, grinning.

"I just got fired," Jeremiah said, "You can't just bust a groove in the middle of somebody else's workplace."

"But they loved it," Blaine said, still grinning.

"Well, my boss didn't," Jeremiah said, "Neither did I."

That _douchebag_. Yeah, he might have been acting, but still. Blaine was pretty pissed off. _Don't lie to me_, he thought angrily, _You were eyeing me the entire time, so shut the hell up_. However, He needed to stay in character, so he turned the anger into fake hurt.

"No one here knows I'm gay." Jeremiah said quietly.

_Psh, _Blaine thought, _Your hair gives it away, dude. You're as straight as I am gay._

"Can I be honest?" Kurt piped up (_shut up, shut up, shut up, _Blaine was mentally yelling) "Just with the hair, I think they do."

BURN. Blaine promised himself he'd high five Kurt for that one someday.

"Blaine," Jeremiah continued, pretending not to have taken that burn to heart, "Let's just be clear here. You and I got coffee twice…we're not dating."

So not only was he being a total douche, he was making Blaine look like an idiot. To say he wanted to slap Jeremiah senseless would be a complete understatement.

"If we were, I'd get arrested," Jeremiah added, "Because you're underage."

He pat Blaine on the shoulder, and Blaine wanted to kick his ass. He held back a smile, and Blaine wanted to punch it off his sorry face. Jerk.

Blaine looked back at Kurt, who just looked sorry for him.

* * *

><p>Of course, there was the inevitable follow-up. Blaine had to be the bitter, nasty guy that Kurt would fall out of love with. IT was the second part to the GAP Attack, which would reinforce the whole "DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH ME" plea.<p>

"Ugh…don't they have anything in here that isn't covered with stupid little hearts?" he asked, disgusted, looking at a couple of mugs,"Gross."

"Well, you've certainly changed your tune." Kurt said, sounding annoyed.

"I'm NOT GAY." Blaine almost snapped. But then, he realized that Kurt was just talking about his happy-go-lucky love struck attitude versus what he was like now.

"I don't think I've ever made that big a fool of myself," he said, "Which is really saying something, because I've performed at theme parks."

"I just, I just can't believe I made it all up in my head." he said, playing up the heartbroken side.

"Okay," Kurt said, looking seriously sympathetic, though also very skeptical at the same time, "Can I ask you something? Because we've always been completely honest with each other, you and I…we hang out, we sing flirty duets together, you know my coffee order…was I supposed to think that was nothing?"

Shit.

Blaine had screwed up big time.

Yeah, he was trying to befriend Kurt. However, he hadn't previously realized HOW MUCH he had befriended Kurt. Now Kurt had thought that they'd…had something together. Blaine had REALLY screwed up. But he had to play it cool, like he didn't know.

"What do you mean?" he asked, playing dumb.

"I thought the guy that you wanted to ask out on Valentine's Day was me."

Oh.

Oh no.

Blaine didn't even know what to say for a second. He couldn't even stay in character with that. He tried to formulate words and sentences, but nothing came out. He stood there for a bit, just waiting for his brain to restart.

"Wow," he said, "I really am clueless."

That wasn't a line; it was the solid truth.

"Look, Kurt," Blaine said, "I don't know what I'm doing. I pretend like I do. And, I know how to act it out in song, but the truth is: I've never really been anyone's…boyfriend."

That was all the truth. Blaine decided that he needed to tell Kurt the truth, and let him know that it was all just a scam, and he'd wanted to be friends from the start. He didn't want to get in too deep with this guy, and have more hearts broken in the end, so he decided to call it quits while their friendship was still new. Before he could tell Kurt, though, he was interrupted.

"Me neither." Kurt said softly.

Why?

Why was Kurt so…_Kurt_?

All thoughts of telling the truth were abandoned. The poor boy had never been anyone's boyfriend, and here Blaine was, crushing his only hope. He needed to find Kurt a man, or at least convince him that Blaine was NOT that man. He wanted Kurt to know that they were just friends. Hopefully, that would get him to back off. Blaine knew that the "just friends" thing peeved girls off all of the time, but it got them to stay away. Hopefully, Kurt worked the same way.

"Let me be really clear about something," he said, the truth coming from deep within his heart, "I really, _really_ care about you. But as you and about 20 other mortified shoppers saw, I'm not very good at romance. I don't want to screw this up."

Kurt looked a little hurt, but managed to smile. How did he _do _that?

"So, it's just like _When Harry Met Sally_?" he said, smiling sheepishly.

"But I get to play Meg Ryan." He added, raising an eyebrow as if he wanted Blaine to challenge him. Of course, he didn't.

"Deal," he said, nodding slightly. At least Kurt understood.

Wait a minute.

"Uh…don't they get together in the end?" Blaine asked. He vaguely remembered the movie, but he was sure that was the ending. Kurt simply ignored him, which gave an obvious yes. Blaine sighed.

Kurt ordered the coffee, to Blaine's surprise.

"You know my coffee order." He said, raising his eyebrows.

"You know what?" Kurt asked, once again avoiding the subject, which was an obvious sign of infatuation, "I think I got something for us to do on Valentine's Day."

* * *

><p>Blaine sighed, rolling his eyes at the other Warblers as Kurt tested the microphone.<p>

They were at BreadstiX, for what Kurt called the Lonely Hearts Club Dinner. Lots of New Directions members were there, mostly singles, though Blaine saw an Asian couple. Why were Asians always together? Didn't one ever see an Asian and a Caucasian or an Asian and an African American or an Asian and a…

"So, happy Valentine's Day everybody," Kurt said, interrupting his thoughts. The Warblers walked onstage, and he followed. Kurt talked, as usual, blah blah blah…

_Woah_, Blaine thought, looking at a Latina girl. She was smoking. _I'm getting her number_, he thought, smiling to himself. Nick saw him staring and kicked him. However, he stared, too. Before Blaine could react, Kurt scurried into place and they started the song: 'Silly Love Songs' by Paul McCartney.

Blaine sang the song; there was nothing interesting there at first. He kept looking at the one girl. She was looking right back at him, obviously interested. Blaine walked around the restaurant a bit, or at least that back corner. He passed Kurt's former teammates, wondering who they were to Kurt, what they thought of Kurt, if they'd ever sang with Kurt, and if they had, what song they'd sung, or how they'd met Kurt...

He wasn't sure why he cared what their relationships to Kurt were. It was kind of pointless; why did he need to know?

Blaine moved around a lot during the song; however, he kept finding himself next to Kurt. He's smile at Kurt, who'd smile right back at him. It was simple, and he was sure that it was just friendship, which made him happy.

When the Warblers mingled in the crowd during the bridge, Blaine eyed the girl he'd had his eyes on, who'd later gotten a name, provided by Wes's hand, containing her name and number: Santana Lopez. Wes hugged her, and Blaine immediately thought: off-limits.

Shame, she was hot.

_At least I still have Kurt_, he thought, smiling.

Wait…where had _that_ come from?


End file.
